


Hey Pretty Boy

by nea1891



Series: You Were (Are) Happy [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Minor Drug Use, Neil Hargrove's A+ Parenting, Season/Series 02, Season/Series 03, Slow Burn, eventual season three spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 14:52:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19747972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nea1891/pseuds/nea1891
Summary: So this is my version of Season Two and Three, if Harringrove were cannon. Will also explore heavily Max and Billy's relationship and their past.Part one of a three part series.Spoilers for both seasons. I can't promise a happy ending, but I hope you enjoy the ride!





	Hey Pretty Boy

“Roll the fucking window back down.” Billy snarled, not taking his eyes off the road. He moved to turn the music up, twisting the knob aggressively as if that would work some magic, increasing the volume so loud the thoughts in his head would be snuffed out.

He also hoped that the louder the music, the less likely Max would try to say anything snappy. Not that she had in a few days. Instead, her face turned white like it had lately, each time he growled at her, and she reached over to roll the window back down.

“It’s cold.” She whispered, hugging herself tight as the air whoosing into the car flew her fire red hair in all directions.

“Yeah, well. Get used to it. Probably never see the sun again.”

“That isn’t true. It’s not like we’re moving to Alaska.”

“Mine as well.”

“Billy….” Max cut herself off once Billy tore his gaze from the road, to bore his eyes, dark and deep, into hers. His glare felt like a dull knife to the stomach, uneven and rough, but sharp enough to cut in jagged edges. Painful saws, twisting her insides until they were a lump in her throat, constricting her breath.

“Billy ‘what?” Billy said, as he turned the radio knob again until the music was so loud the car began to shake. She could feel the vibrations in her chest, and it just added to the panic. She let her head thud against the side of the window, letting the air force her eyes closed, squeezing them tight to stave off the tears threatening to flow. She begged whatever force in the universe that someday soon, she would get her brother back.

* * *

_“Did you know that the workers at Disney went on a strike?” Billy said, leaning half his body into Max’s room. She lie on her stomach, legs folded and swinging back and forth as she read Tiger Beat, ripping out the pages that she planned to tack to her wall. It was a distraction from the guilt settling in her stomach, the nerves pooling like a puddle of blood, heavy and thick._

_She shook her head. “What does that mean?”_

_“It means they hated their shit job, so they stood up to their bosses. Got what they wanted.”_

_“Oh. That’s cool I guess.”_

_“Who gives a fuck. They aren’t on strike anymore, so the park is open again.”_

_“Ok…” Max didn’t really understand where Billy was going with this. He had never mentioned Disney in the entire 7 years they had lived together. He refused to ever take her to see any cartoons in the theater, instead forcing her to sneak into films like Halloween or Alien when they played at the local movieplex. Not that she really complained. It was cool to have an older brother like that. She was certain Billy, especially Billy, would hate the idea of a place like Disney. That said, she was intrigued and hoped that he wasn’t going to pull some stupid bull shit stunt like he usually did when he was making fun of things she enjoyed._

_“We should go.”_

_“...to Disney.” She asked, still dumbfounded._

_Billy took a step so he was completely inside Max’s room now, pointing to the poster of Cinderella on her wall. Max hated that poster; but Neil had bought it for her their first Christmas as a family. “All girls like princesses,” he had said, and as Max began to protest her mother smiled her bright, sad smile and insisted it was perfect. Each time Max had taken it down, her mother had fished it out of the trash and hung it back up. Max learned quickly that it was futile._

_“I don’t like Disney that much.” Max said, even thought it was a lie. Sort of. She didn’t like the princess crap; but the idea of going to an amusement park sounded really fun. Who didn’t want to ride a rollercoaster until they threw up?_

_“You want to go or not?” Billy asked, folding his arms._

_“Duh.” Max said, closing her magazine to finally put all of her attention on her brother._

_“Cool. We’ll go tomorrow.” Billy said, spinning around to make a quick exit._

_“Wait! We have school tomorrow.”_

_Billy stopped himself with both hands against the door frame. When he turned around he was grinning almost maniacally._

_“So...we’ll skip.”_

_“We are going to skip school...and go to Disney? Are you on drugs? Neil will be so pissed at us.”_

_“Me. He will be pissed at me. And I don’t give a fuck. He’s making us move halfway across the fucking world for all I care, and I want to go to fucking Disney. Maybe we won’t even come back.” He said, a mischievous glint in his eye._

_“You want to run away?”_

_“Why not? Not like Neil and Susan give a shit about what we want.”_

_“We can’t run away. I mean….maybe you can. You’re 16. You can like, get a job and stuff.”_

_Billy’s mouth parted slightly, and his eyes furrowed as if this had been the first time such a thought crossed his mind. “I could…”_

_“What if we get in trouble?”_

_“Who cares. Not like Neil could do much worse to me, besides actually kill me.”_

_“Don’t joke like that Billy!” Billy rarely ever mentioned the possibility of dying at Neil’s hands. When he did, he did so almost mockingly, as if he could then easily pass if off as a joke, something that would never be possible. But they both knew, deep down, it was very possible. The fresh bruises on his face now proved that._

_“Look, you want to go or not?”_

_Max stared at the floor, mulling it over. The chances of them getting caught were slim. Billy drove them to and from school every day. And Neil and her mom didn’t usually get home until 7. And even if they did get home before Billy and Max, they could easily pass if off as staying after school. Max had joined the video game club, and Billy had detention almost every day. Wouldn’t be a stretch._

_“Ok.” Max smiled. She didn’t know what possessed her in that moment, but it came spilling from her lips too quick to take it back. Maybe it was her mind’s effort to alleviate the guilt she felt._

_“Can Charlie come?”_

_Billy’s face went pale. His eyes wide. After a beat or two, he smiled._

_“Totally.”_

* * *

They pulled behind the UHaul and Neil’s truck into a Motel 6 around 8 o’clock. Driving for almost ten hours straight, with only two breaks for gas and to pee, had been nauseating. Literally. Billy felt like he was going to vomit as soon as the car stopped. His old man hadn’t even let them stop for a proper meal, telling Billy he could survive off of gas station candy bars and giving him just enough coin to buy that, and only that. Susan knew better than to try and convince him otherwise, but did get Neil to buy Max fruit and a couple sandwiches. The bitch.

As soon as Max opened the car door, Billy pounded on the gas, flying out of the parking lot. He had no idea where he was going to go, but he knew he wasn’t sleeping in a hotel room with his sorry excuse for a family. Let Neil send the cops after him, he didn’t give a shit.

He pulled over at the first sight of a payphone, repeating the familiar number in his head as he jammed himself into the booth.

He held his breath as the phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times. Finally someone picked up.

“Hello.” A stern voice replied, and Billy immediately recognized it as Charlie’s dad.

“Um…” he tried his best to speak with a higher pitch, hoping that the guy wouldn’t realize who it was. “Is Charlie there?”

“Who’s calling?”

“Um...Josh. We have a class together.”

Billy heard a rough sigh and then the clatter of what seemed to be the receiver hitting a table top. “Charlie!” Billy heard, his breath returning but with a quicker pace than before he had picked up the phone.

After a few moments he heard jostling on the other end, and then “Hello.” Charlie’s voice was as beautiful as ever, and Billy almost gagged at what a faggot he was being. It had only been a week since they last spoke, but it had felt like a lifetime.

Despite feeling like he had to vomit all over again, Billy sucked in a breathe and steeled his nerves best he could. “Hey handsome.”

“Billy?” Charlie whispered, the jostling noise returning, Billy suspecting the other boy was walking into his kitchen, away from his parents.

“Why are you calling me?”

“Why wouldn’t I call you? I could finally get to a phone.”

“You can’t call me, Billy.”

“What do you mean I can’t call you? I’m not allowed to call my boyfriend…”

“I’m not your boyfriend anymore Billy. We...we can’t…”

“Fuck that. You don’t mean that.”

“Billy...Billy we can’t do this...I can’t…”

“What? Can’t what Charlie? What’s the difference between then and now? We had to hide before, we just...have to be a little more stealth about it.”

“This isn’t being very stealthy, Bill.”

Billy let his head fall against the phone booth, his entire body breaking out in a nervous sweat like it always did when Charlie called him that.

“Char, babe. Please. Look...I only have a year and a half. And...and you’ll be at UCLA this next fall. And...it will get easier. I could come visit you, or at least call you without having to worry... “

“Billy...he almost killed you! He would have killed you if... I can't ...I'm sorry. Please don’t call here again, ok?” And then the phone line went dead.

“Fuck!’ Billy screamed as he slammed the phone back onto the receiver. He began to tremble slightly, eyes burning as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He was not going to cry. He didn’t do that shit anymore. He first his hands along his side, breathing deeply through his nose. He could feel it, the anger, the fucking rage, the hollow in his chest. His head began to ache, as if it was filling with air, so much pressure he was ready to fucking explode. It burst out of him too fast to even comprehend it. And then a sharp pain hit his fist, rose up his arm, seeping into his neck, filling his head. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. The glass of the phone booth wall had only cracked slightly with each pound of his fist. HIs knuckles were red, but not bleeding. Calloused, as always. He didn’t even consider them hands, like one usually does. They would never exist to comfort or caress. He punched the glass again ,and then stormed back to the car.

He spent the night driving in circles around the small area near the motel. It was pretty quiet, most of the businesses and houses he passed dark, silent. Nothing like Cali. The thought crossed his mind that wherever they were going would probably be like this. His fist pounded the dash at the realization.

He found a 24 hour diner and pulled in. A small, very thin waitress with dark bags under her eyes sat him down with no more than a “here you go” and a menu. Suited him just fine; Billy was never one for small talk. Now that he was out of Neil’s hair, he could take out the money had had hidden in his boots. It wasn’t much, but enough to buy himself a burger and fries.

He imagined that each bite he took was a blow to his old man’s stomach. Or a snap to Max’s skateboard. Or a slap to Charlie’s face. Fuck them. Fuck moving. Fuck everything.

* * *

He pulled into the motel again at 7 am. Susan was already sitting in the UHaul passenger seat; Max skateboarding around the parking lot. Neil was leaning against his truck, fists hovering at his sides.

Billy didn’t dare get out of the car. He figured his dad wouldn’t make a scene in a public space, at least a physical one. He expected a verbal beat down, but at this point he could tune that shit out. Max saw him and skated over quickly, throwing her board in the back seat before getting in. She didn’t make eye contact with Billy and once she realized Neil was walking their way, she began picking at a string on her sleeve. Her face was white again.

Billy refused to roll down the window when Neil got to his side of the car. He could hear Neil demand he open the door, and for a moment Billy thought of mocking him, pointing to his ears as he mouthed ‘can’t hear you asshole.’ But he thought better of it. Instead he leaned towards Max, rolling down her window. Neil glared at him as he turned on his heel and stomped over to her side of the car.

“Where the hell were you?”

“Went and picked myself up a nice whore. Had a hell of a night.”

Max whipped her head towards Billy, eyes wide. She flinched a little when Neil’s arms thudded against the window, leaning in as close to Billy as he could from that side.

“Don’t think I’m not going to kick your sorry ass the first chance I get, boy.”

“Yeah, yeah. Can’t wait.”

“Don’t you talk to me like that, and in front of your sister. You need to learn some god-damn respect. Maybe I’ll just take away your car, once we get to Hawkins.”

Billy didn’t respond to that. But he knew, that in itself was a response. One that would satisfy his old man. Make him think he was scared, make him think he shut him up. He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were taut, the burn of the rubber digging into his palms.

“Do whatever the fuck you want.” He muttered.

Neil scoffed and pulled himself back out of the window. He ruffled Max’s hair, but didn’t smile. She grimaced.

“Fuck him.” Billy said as he slammed the Camaro into reverse and peeled out of the parking lot in a cloud of smoke.

After about twenty minutes of driving in silence Max spoke up. She knew better, but also. She needed to know.

“Why do you talk back to him like that? You know what he is going to do.”

“You’re right. I know what he’s going to do.”

“I just don’t understand.”

“Yeah, well. He’s going to beat my ass no matter what I say or do. So, just a lot more fun to say what I want.”

“Why doesn’t he...why doesn’t he ever hit me?”

Billy let his shoulders sag at that, not realizing how tense he had been. He refused to look at her, he was sure his face would give him away. Fuck.

“No idea.”

“Did you...did you call Charlie last night?”

Billy snapped out of it at the mention of the other boy. His face stayed warm, but his dream like state quickly morphed into hysteria. He gripped the steering wheel even tighter and turned to Max, boring daggers into her. He wanted her to feel what he felt. He wanted her to throw up all over the car, heave until her stomach twisted in on itself, until she was so void of any life she folded over in agony. He wanted her eye to pound with every heartbeat, stinging as the wind hit it. He needed her heart to be shattered, pieces cutting into him like blades aflame.

“You don’t ever say his fucking name again. You hear me?”

Max was quiet. Staring back at Billy with the same childish eyes she always possessed. The ones that Billy loved. Because he knew she feared him. “Do you understand?!” He screamed into her face, spitting across her cheeks, his voice echoing off the four doors of the car as it barreled down the road. He slammed on the gas, cranked up the radio, and left her with a “you stupid, bitch” for good measure.

* * *

Hawkins was every bit the shithole Billy had imagined it would be and more. They had arrived around dinner time on a Wednesday, the house smaller than any that Billy had ever lived in. He wondered if his old man had done it on purpose, easier to hear his every move.

Billy only had a few boxes and his mattress. He had scribbled ‘Penthouse’ across each one, earning nothing but a glare from Neil as he grabbed them from the UHaul. Billy could play this game. It was too fucking easy.

He had stopped wondering long ago if Neil would ever kill him. He figured, if he hadn’t already he was probably safe. He didn’t even flinch anymore. Not really. He would cry sometimes, even if he didn’t want to admit it. But it was more from the pain, and the embarrassment than anything. He had stopped being scared of his dad years ago. The past few years he had tried to go toe to toe with him, meet his stare, stay sharp and focused. Act like he didn’t give a fuck what was going to come next. It was always a gamble; some days it would just be a slap. Others a knee to the groin. He was numb to most of it; but the uncertainty of when and how always haunted him.

He had been surprised at how reserved Neil had been when he first found out. It had been one of the worst beatings of his life, but he had certainly taken more. His eye was swollen, his mouth had split open. He had boot marks across his chest, he was pretty sure he had at least bruised a rib.

But it hadn’t been as bad as the night his mother had left. Or the night Billy had first uttered “she’s not my sister.” It hadn’t came as a relief, so much as left him puzzled. Kind of on edge. He was able to walk off it a little once Neil announced they were moving. Realized his dad was wising up, upping the game. He wasn’t as stupid as Billy had thought he was.

He methodically unpacked his belongings as soon as everything had been unloaded into the house. He carefully turned the lock on his new bedroom door, a little surprised that Neil hadn’t checked first. He hoped he could keep that a secret for a little while.

He loaded up his dresser drawers with his nudey magazines, all pristine and shiny like the day he had bought them. Hung up the poster of some woman in a bikini; Charlie had bought for him as a joke. He had long tuned out, and so the memory didn’t really cross his mind as he pressed the tacks into the wall.

He folded his clothes neatly, hung up his jackets. He stacked a few of his crates against the wall, set along them his colognes and eyeliner. He saved the smallest box for last.

He didn’t feel like opening it, maybe he never would he thought as he shoved it into the back of his closet.

He fell onto his bed, masturbated to the memory of Charlie’s lips wrapped around him, and awoke suddenly to his alarm clock blaring.

* * *

Susan had asked Neil to let the kids take a day in between moving and starting school, but of course the asshole hadn’t given a shit. Billy rubbed the sleep from his eyes, scoffing as he remembered the time change. The day was going to fucking suck.

Maxine was already at the kitchen table, eyes bleary and red. She was eating an apple; Billy assumed it was leftover from one of their last gas station stops.

The rest of the house was still dark and quiet.

“Be ready in a half an hour, shithead.” Billy said, guzzling a glass of water from the tap. He didn’t wait to see if Max would respond, instead heading into his room to pick out an outfit.

He supposed after a 30 hour drive he should shower. But he also didn’t give a fuck. Something like that took effort, and that was what cologne was for anyway.

He stood in front of his mirror, naked, flexing his muscles, focusing on the way his toned abs became more defined as he arched back. He wrapped a hand around his soft cock, letting the weight of it ground him. He closed his eyes and thought of the last time he had been buried in Charlie. Two weeks and three days. He hadn’t even had the chance to come. How fucked was that?

He contemplated rubbing one off before leaving, but the ache in his bones convinced him otherwise. He rolled his eyes as he thought of the day before him. It was going to fucking suck, he didn’t even need to imagine otherwise. He was sure a hick town like this was way behind not only in it’s politics, but also it’s educational standards. At least he would be able to fly through the work easy enough.

Max was waiting in the car when he left the house. He had settled on jeans and a denim jacket. Charlie had always told him he looked like an asshat when he wore double denim. That had been enough to solidify the decision.

He had no real idea how to get to the school from their house. But he figured it couldn’t be too far. He followed the path he had remembered them taking upon their arrival, and soon found himself in what he could only assume was a downtown area.

“Jeeesus. Look at this dump.”

“It has a theater!” Max said, pointing out the window towards a sign that read ‘The Hawk’.

“The Hawk. How fucking original.”

He caught a glimpse of a school bus ahead and followed it, arriving at the school within a few minutes. “God damn, this place is small.”

He had cranked the music up after catching the school bus; an attempt, he figured, to make some sort of splash. The radio was playing Scorpions. Perfect.

Max rolled her eyes as Billy revved the engine. She was a little excited at the prospect of a smaller school; she and Billy had gone to separate ones back home. Home. This was home now. Her heart dropped into her stomach at the thought.

Billy wasted no time exiting the car. He knew he looked good. And if the looks he was getting from some of the hick girls was any indication, this was going to be a walk in the park. He smirked to himself; this was going to be too fucking easy.

* * *

Billy realized quickly that fresh meat was hard to come by in Hawkins, Indiana. Each person he passed in the hallways gaped at him like he had three heads. It was oddly thrilling. By the end of the day he had had three girls drape half their bodies over him, and a phone number for one of them. Heather her name was. She was just pretty enough.

Billy figured this was going to be too simple, his classes were dull enough to skate by easy. He impressed each of his teachers right away, understanding in no time that Indiana was way behind California. He was a junior and they were just now reading Animal Farm. Billy had read that shit in the sixth grade.

As each period went by, he became more and more confidant. He was going to be top dog, no doubt about that. The girls couldn’t stop drooling over him. The dweeby guys in his class clearly wanted to be him. Hell, he even got a little excited when he saw he would have PE his first day. He was going to wipe the floor with Hawkins finest.

He entered the locker room right after lunch. He was the first to arrive. He hadn’t brought any gym shorts, his school back home always had some. Luckily a little bat of his eyelashes and the school nurse produced a decent pair from the lost and found.

He was just pulling the waistband over his hips when the door flew open. Billy licked his teeth, ready for another conversation that was sure to boost his ego. He looked up, eyes hungry, ready to knock another Hawkins nerd down a peg, but his mind went static at the sight before him.

Standing in front of him, walking towards the locker across from the one Billy had claimed, was the most beautiful boy he had ever laid eyes on. Fuck Charlie. Fuck anyone that had ever made Billy weak in the knees.

This boy, with his huge head of hair, his deep brown, doe eyes, his lanky yet muscular frame. _Fuck._ Billy was completely fucked. Maybe this wouldn’t be so easy after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Disney workers really did go on strike in 1984, ending it right before Halloween. Thought it was a cool fact that lined up!


End file.
